As robots are taking over more and more tasks formerly performed by human employees and algorithms backed up by big data covering our every move are beginning to shape how we experience our lives, it’s not just traditional concepts like privacy that are affected. The accelerating chang...

Autophagy is a highly regulated process about which relatively little is known, particularly concerning the transcriptional control of autophagy regulation. A new study identifies a key regulator of the expression of autophagy-related genes, thereby providing insights into the signalli...

The global spread of our species has led to a massive loss of terrestrial species, which dramatically changed the size distribution of land-based fauna and disrupted its ecological function. The less readily accessible ocean biotopes have so far been spared this fate, but lessons from ...

In contrast to the elaborate cytoskeletal machines harbored by eukaryotic cells, such as mitotic spindles, cytoskeletal structures detectable by typical negative stain electron microscopy are generally absent from bacterial cells. As a result, for decades it was thought that bacteria l...

Retinal image structure arises from the interaction between a surface's three-dimensional shape, its reflectance and transmittance properties, and the surrounding light field. Any local image structure can be generated by an infinite number of different combinations of surface properties, which ...

The timing mechanism for mitotic progression is still poorly understood. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), whose reversal upon chromosome alignment is thought to time anaphase [1–3], is functional during the rapid mitotic cycles of the Drosophila embryo; but its genetic inactivati...

Background
Autophagy is a conserved process mediating vacuolar degradation and recycling. Autophagy is highly upregulated upon various stresses and is essential for cell survival in deleterious conditions. Autophagy defects are associated with severe pathologies, whereas unch...

Identification of nutritious compounds is dependent on expression of specific taste receptors in appropriate taste-cell types [1]. In contrast to mammals, which rely on a single, broadly tuned heterodimeric sugar receptor [2], the Drosophila genome harbors a small subfamily of eight, c...

The kinetochore provides a vital connection between chromosomes and spindle microtubules [1, 2]. Defining the molecular architecture of the core kinetochore components is critical for understanding the mechanisms by which the kinetochore directs chromosome segregation. The KNL1/Mis12 c...

Background
Much of our understanding of how neural networks develop is based on studies of sensory systems, revealing often highly stereotyped patterns of connections, particularly as these diverge from the presynaptic terminals of sensory neurons. We know considerably less a...

Gall-forming arthropods are highly specialized herbivores that, in combination with their hosts, produce extended phenotypes with unique morphologies [1]. Many are economically important, and others have improved our understanding of ecology and adaptive radiation [2]. However, the mec...

Background
The paternal allele of Ube3a is silenced by imprinting in neurons, and Angelman syndrome (AS) is a disorder arising from a deletion or mutation of the maternal Ube3a allele, which thereby eliminates Ube3a neuronal expression. Sleep disorders such as short sleep dur...

Multisensory contributions to perception are well studied, but their underlying brain mechanisms are poorly understood. A new study has exploited advances in fly optogenetics to pinpoint mechanisms that enhance responses to visual motion in the presence of ecologically relevant odors.
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